Turn operated fastener and installation



Dec. 24, 1935. JOHNSON TURN OPERATED FASTENER AND INSTALLATION Filed 0G13. 5, 1952 Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TURN OPERATED FASTENER AND INSTALLATION Application October 3, 1932, Serial No. 635,936

4 claims.

My invention aims to provide improvements in fastener secured installations .and fasteners of the turn operative type.

In the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of an installation showing the manner of securing a molding in position by my improved fastening members;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 showing the fastener in locking position;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but showing the fastener turned to unlocking l5 position; l

Fig. 4 is an under side plan View of the fastener member;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the fastener member shown in the other figures; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 5 6 of Fig. 2 showing the relation of the hook portions of the yieldable ngers of the fastener to the edges with which they interlock prior to contraction of the hook portions.

My invention, as illustrated by the drawing, is particularly, though not exclusively, adapted for use in attaching moldings and the like to a sheet metal structure and includes a simple eiiicient one-piece sheet metal fastener for accomplishing the desired result. It should be understood that the fastening member is complete in and of itself and may be used to secure together two or more relatively thin apertured members Without the use of additional screws or the like.

Referring to the specic embodiment of my invention illustrated by the drawing, I have shown a sheet metal fastener constructed from a single piece of metal and used to secure a hollow molding strip I to a thin sheet metal structure 2.

The fastening member is formed from a at strip of metal and comprises a body portion 3 and a pair of yieldable ngers 4 having hook-like portions 5. The hook-like portions extend inwardly toward each other from opposite edges of the body portion 3 and then curved outwardly and away from the body portion, as best illustrated in Fig. 2. In the specific construction illustrated the hook portions 5 5 are made somewhat more narrow than those portions of the fingers 4 which extend inwardly from the opposite edges of the body portion 3, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. By this construction the fingers can enter a relatively small aperture 6 in the structure 2 and 55 readily engage the inwardly turned ange portions 1 1 of the molding I, while at the same time providing relatively wide bearing surfaces for engagement with the face of the structure 2. It should be noted thatthe hook portions of the ngers present straight surfaces crosswise for 5 substantial engagementwith the straight surfaces provided by the :Inner edges of the anges 1 1 of the molding I for the purposes hereinafter described.

The aperture 6 may be round or any other de- 10 sirable shape, so long as it will permit the hook portions 5 5 to pass therethrough when the fastener is in the position shown in Fig. 3.

Assuming that the parts desired to be secured together are as shown in the drawing the fastener may be attached by entering the hook portions 5-5 through the aperture 6 and the space 8 between the inner edges, of the flanges 1 1 and rotated. Rotation is preferably accomplished by the use of a tool such, for instance, as a screw driver, the under portion 9 of whichis shown in Fig.` 3. The portion 9 of the screw driver ts into a tool-receiving slot I0 formed lengthwise of the body portion 3 of the fastener. Upon rotation of the fastener from a position shown in Fig. 3 to a position shown in Fig. 2 the corners (Fig. 6) will first engage the edges of the flanges 1 1. Thereafter the hook portions must be forced toward each other to overcome the difference in the distance between the corners of the. opposed hook portions and the distance between the edges of the flanges 1 1 so that the fastener may be turned into a position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus, there is provided a sort of a snap action so that when the fastener is turned to its ultimate locking position the straight faces of the hook portions will engage the straight faces of the inner edges of the flanges 1 1. It will, of course, be understood by those skilled in the art that such engagement, plus a certain amount of tension supplied by the formation of the iingers and hook portions thereof, will securely hold the fastener in locking position so that it cannot acidentally be turned to the unlocking position, as shown in Fig. 3.

' It will be noted that I have shown the body portion 3 as being somewhat curved longitudinally. and that the inwardly extending portions of the ngers 4 normally parallel the curvature of the body portion 3. This construction permits relative yielding of the fingers toward and away from the base portion. For instance, an observation of Fig. 2- will clearly show that the fingers 4 may yield both throughout their lengths and adjacent to their connections with the body portion 3 to 55 2 v compensate for variations in thickness of the flange 1 and the `structure l.` If, for instance.

the overall thickness of the two partslto be secured together were increased by say one-half of that shown in Fig. 2 the ngers would yield away from the `body portion 3 and toward the structure 2. With this construction-'I can'manuiacture my simple fastening devices for securing together two members of minimum thickness and use the same tener into either locking or unlocking position.

As a result the members I and 2 are held tightly against' one another so that they cannot shift without exerting considerable force on one part or the' other. .Furthermore there is a definite snap action which takes place during the rotation of the Vfastener relative to the parts to be secured together both in the locking andthe unloclngmovements so that the operator can know exactly when the fastener is in either locked or unlocked position.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, Ido not wish to be limited thereby, because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

1. The combination -with a -pair of relatively thin superposed apertured members of a fastener member of the rotary engagement type adapted to be engaged with and entirely disengaged from said apertured members, one of said apertured members having an elongated aperture having straight wall portions along the long sides thereof, and said fastener member having opposed yieldable fingers extending from a body portion seated against one of said apertured membersand shaped and arranged to have outwardly aring ends which, acting together, form an elongated end adapted to pass through the elongated aperture when in apredetermined relation only and after passing through the apertures of both members turned into engagement withv the straight wall portions of the elongated apertured part and with the outwardly. flaring ends overlying portions of 2. The combination with a pair of relatively thin superposed apertured members of a fastener member of the rotary engagement type. adapted to be engaged with and entirely disengaged from said apertured members, one of said apertured mem- 2,oao,oso l y bers-having'an elongated aperture having straight Y wallportions along the long sides thereofand said fas ner member having opposed yieldable fingers xtendin'gfrom a body portion against -one of said apertured member and shaped 5 passing throughthe vapertures of both members lo turned into engagement with the straight wall portions of the elongated apertured part and with the outwardly flaring ends overlying portions of the part having the elongated aperture, said iingers being curved lengthwise to a'ct as cam means 15 abutting said side wall portions to hold apertured members of various thicknesses tightly together and being /straight crosswise to make interlocking engagement with said straight walled portions and tool-receiving means presented by said body portion for reception Vof a tool for rotating said fingers into and out of engagement with said straight wall portions. l

3. A fastener member 'of the tuur-'engaging type for connecting a plurality of apertured mem` 2'? bers together, comprising a single piece of sheet metal bent to provide a body portion and yieldable finger-engaging portions connected to opposed sides of and located entirely beneath saidbody in substantially parallel spaced relation thereto, said engaging portions having their free end portions curved downwardly and outwardly, presenting outwardly flaring opposed arcuate hooks, the outer faces of which progress outwardly from each other toward the connected sides o f said body, whereby toprovide opposed flat yieldable cam portions adapted frictionally to engage the walls of apertured members of varying` thickness, and a tool receiving aperture in said body portion for reception of a tool by means of which thefas- 4 0 tener may be turned. 4

4. A fastener of the turn-engaging type for connecting a plurality of apertured members together comprising a piece of sheet metal shaped to provide a convexed body portionand yieldable flnger- .45 engaging portions connected at opposed points to said body portion and located entirely beneath and adjacent the concave side of said body in substantially parallel spaced relation thereto, said opposed finger-engagingportions having their free ends downwardly and outwardly and progressisely curved toward the connected sides thereof to provide hooks, the axis of curvature of which lies adjacent' the plane of said finger portions, thereby providing opposed outwardlyaring flat cam portions adapted to engage the walls of one of the apertured members, the edges of said convex body portion beingadapted to bear upon the outer surface of the other of the said apertured members. l o0 GUSTAN JOHNSON. 

